Solving the puzzle of what makes immunotherapies work

Trends Cancer. 2022 Nov;8(11):890-900. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.06.011. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

Abstract

The rapid adoption of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies has led to a need to understand the mechanistic drivers of efficacy and the identification of novel biomarkers that enrich for patients who benefit from ICB therapy. Here, we provide a perspective on emerging biomarker candidates, their underlying biological mechanisms, and how they may fit into the current landscape of ICB biomarkers. We discuss new frameworks to identify and evaluate biomarker candidates and review the opportunities and challenges of utilizing biomarker-derived models to facilitate the development of new immunotherapies.

Keywords: biomarker; immune checkpoint blockade; immunotherapy; tumor immunology.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Immunotherapy*

Substances

  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors